Sunday, May 18, 2014

Griffin Johnston, 4th period, CDC takes extra care in stopping an outbreak of a seemingly mild disease.


            An article on CNN.com reports on the discovery of the MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) virus in the United States. The virus, thought to come from camels, has severe symptoms and is reported to be fatal in one third of known cases. The virus also has no cure or vaccine. An Indiana man was the first person within the United States to be diagnosed with the disease and, ever since this diagnosis, the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention has been actively pursuing every person this man has had contact with. The article cites investigations with very detailed reports of the man’s activities and states that health officials have tested 53 people and six family members just because of this one man from Indiana having MERS.
            The actions of the CDC (centers for disease control) might seem overly obsessive especially since the symptoms that any Americans have had from this virus have been very mild. However, it gives people a strong sense of comfort that the CDC and other health organizations are so vigilant about ensuring that seemingly mild viruses such as MERS do not get out of hand. This vigilance is reflected in different organizations throughout the U.S. that are devoted to maintaining the well-being and safety of the people (i.e. Department of Homeland Security, FBI/CIA, etc.). Part of our freedom as Americans is our safety from harm and from the evils of the world. Though the U.S. falters sometimes in providing us this safety it is evident that they constantly work hard to ensure it. Take, for example, the never-ending debate over how the nations health care system should operate or how the United States should be involved in foreign affairs. The arguments over these topics are filled with ardor and usually anger. However, the fact that they are arguing so passionately about these topics shows that the government (not all of it but most of it) cares about maintaining the well-being, safety, and freedom of all of its people.



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